


Blood of the Dragon

by joonohon



Series: Eren Week 2015 [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Game of Thrones Fusion, Day 6, Day 6: King, Eren Week, Eren Week 2015, Eren Week Day 6, King - Freeform, M/M, im so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:06:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5027791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joonohon/pseuds/joonohon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi, posing as a knight, was sent across the ocean to the next continent over with one mission.</p><p>Find Eren Jaeger. Report his movements to King Smith. And when the time was right, kill him. </p><p>But when tangled into the storm of fire and blood that is Eren Jaeger, things get more complicated than Levi had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blood of the Dragon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [setsunah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/setsunah/gifts).



> Super late part of Eren Week lmao
> 
> For Jolie, who was the first one I told about my GoT au

The smell of charred meat and sweat met Levi's nostrils, a constant itch under nose as he stood beside the throne. He looked down at the show going on, dancers twisting and writhing sensually for their Khal and his Khaleesi. Fire pits surrounded the procession with wild hogs and vegetables rotating mesmerizingly on their spits. More Warriors were scattered around the area and were laughing and drinking, clapping along to the monotonous drumming accompanying the show.

The dancers stopped, bowing lowly for their rulers. Bells clinked together in the Khal's hair as he turned to speak to his Khalessi, and the other laughed, not unlike the soft metallic tinkling. 

The Khal was dressed for war, with a wide leather belt strapped across his abdomen, horse hair-lined boots, and leather cuffs around his arms and wrists. Blue patterns were painted onto his skin, accentuating his swirling tattoos that resembled wind in the sky. His hair was long, braided down his back and heavy with the weight of numerous bells weaved into it, representative of his many victories in battle.

The Khaleesi, however, was the most beautiful person in the room.

He wore a white gown, an emerald sitting just under his collarbones and connecting the halter fabric looping around his neck. The dress was translucent, and long tan limbs peeking through whenever he moved. His feet were bare, pointed and crossing underneath him with his legs curled up. He was practically draped across the throne, a smile on his face and in his bright eyes with a hand on the Khal's arm. His skin shone from the sand scrub and milk bath his servants had given him earlier, but Levi thought he would be just as radiant otherwise.

It was time for respects to be payed to the Khal and his Khaleesi, and warriors lined up with gifts in tow. There were chests of the finest berries and wine, rucksacks filled with bows and arrows and swords of all kinds. Jewelry was presented to the Khaleesi, necklace upon circlet upon bangle upon anklet coming to rest on his body. Three strange eggs made their way into the pile of gifts, hot to the touch and covered in scales.

The most spectacular of the gifts was a mare from the Khal himself, the color and majesty of the moon. The presentation of the horse signaled the end of the ceremony, and Levi watched from the opening of the tent as the Khal and Khaleesi rode off hand in hand through the grass. The night was dark, but they followed the river, and Levi turned away with an empty feeling in his chest. He was never one for festivities like this.

Levi couldn't ignore the obvious; the marriage was to be consummated. Even though it was technically a military alliance, no sane person would turn down an offering of Eren's hand. He was too valuable for that.

Levi wasn't sure why kind of value it was that he thought of.

He left to his own private tent, reminding himself of his position and his duty, responding to King Erwin's letter in the light of a candle. He slipped under a blanket and tried not to imagine what Eren's eyes would look like under the light of the full moon. 

\--

Eren fit right in with the Horse Lords. 

His tan skin was just like theirs, and in traditional riding clothes, he blended in and became one of them. His hair fluttered in the wind, green eyes gleaming with happiness as his horse pierced the long grass beneath him. 

They were traveling to the Khal's hometown, where the army would be blessed and begin their journey to the West. Eren had promised the Horse Lords a share of the land he would win back from the Usurper, and the Khal had readily agreed, sealing their alliance. 

Levi rode just behind Eren alongside the Khal's Bloodriders. They all had their swords drawn, yelling affirmations and war cries in their native tongues every time Eren whooped in happiness and excitement. Levi's focus was on his Khaleesi, watching his hair bounce with each gallop of his mare, back muscles contracting and expanding as he gripped the mane of his horse. He looked right at home. Primal. Like a warrior.

Eren looked behind him, grinning at Levi with a pearly white smile. He laughed, deep and from his belly, when Levi nodded towards the front. He righted himself, and only then did Levi flush, a small smile stretching his thin lips. 

He's incredible, Levi thought, and with guilt twisting in his stomach, he snapped the reigns in his hands and sped forward, following his Khaleesi through the plains of never ending grass.

\--

Levi's mission was simple. Find Eren Jaeger. Record his activities and report them to King Erwin. And when the time was right, kill him. 

It had been easy, at first. 

Ten years ago, the Jaegers had been the longest ruling family to ever sit the throne in Shiganshina. Their reign was a turbulent one, catastrophe and calamity weaving its way through their history. Many were tired of the constant carnage the 'dragon-born' were wreaking.

Erwin Smith was the one to stop it.

The new king wasn't what people would call kind, but he did what he thought was best for the people of Shiganshina. He wasn't always right. 

But if Erwin Smith was anything, it was understanding. Levi wouldn't have been on this mission if he wasn't.

\--

Levi's cheeks were numb. He had known the cold; it was hard to work in a brothel and not know the cold when one slept in alleys and anywhere remotely hidden. But this was fucking freezing.

He shuffled along, shackles clanging loudly against one another as he stared at the back of the person in front of him. They were all the same, the recruits; all criminals and murderers and rapists, headed to the Wall to become Brothers of the Night's Watch.

What a joke.

The wind whipped at his cheeks as they walked, and Levi was sure they would never stop if it weren't for the sound of shouting and neighing. He looked up, standing on his toes to see above shoulders.

The King's banners. 

A small train of knights was cutting its way through the forest, carriages and carts and horses making a cacophony of noise. The future Brothers watched spitefully. The king was the one who had declared most of them be sent to the Wall. Something about "purifying the kingdom". It made Levi sick.

Levi wasn't sure what happened, but one thing came after another, and all of a sudden there was a scramble. Brothers were darting into the forest in every direction, the heavy snow hiding them from sight. His heart raced, and he proceeded to run towards the nearest rock and try to smash his cuffs. He brought his arms over his head, and just as he was about to swing downwards, he was pulled harshly, falling on top of another body.

He quickly wrapped his chains around the neck of his attacker, growling and pulling his hands apart to tighten the hold. He heard sputtering behind him, and he kicked backwards. A crack. Rolling over and into himself, he crouched and stood, prepared to drag the attacker until he stopped flailing. 

Meaty hands grabbed his hair, fisting and pulling small chunks out. Levi hissed, yanking on the chains. 

He saw the second one too late, and was unconscious the moment he was knocked over the head with the hilt of a sword.

\--

When he woke, it was in an unfamiliar room.

He sat up quickly, reaching for his knife. Except. He didn't have his belt. He wore nothing. He was naked.

Searching the area, Levi concluded that he was resting at was seemed to be an inn. The sheets under him were clean, but there was no other indication of where he could possible be. 

The door opened.

Levi ducked under the sheet, curling up. He heard clicking footsteps, slow and steady, stopping right beside the bed. He held his breath. Suddenly the sheets were whipped back and he pounced, landing on the man and moving to claw at him. He was gripped by the hair from behind and pinned down, limbs held in place by a second person. He growled at them, teeth bared like the rest of him.

A scruffy looking knight was staring at him blankly, iron grip tightening, serving as the only show of emotions. Other than that he was stoic. He wore white. All white.

One of the Kingsguard.

Only the most worthy of knights in the kingdom were offered a position as one of the King and royal family's personal guardians, and being someone of Levi's occupation, they only meant trouble. He narrowed his eyes. What could they possibly want from him?

The Knight was looking at something to the left, and when Levi turned, he blanched. He could recognize that face anywhere. 

The King himself was holding Levi's left arm and leg, staring him in the eyes with what could only be described as awe. What a strange man. 

"Hello."

Levi blinked. Fire from the hearth crackled in the silence, sputtering and making the King's blue eyes gleam white and orange. 

"I saw the way you fought my Knights. It was quite impressive."

The Knight grunted. The King smiled, looking at Levi expectantly. When he made no efforts to speak, the King continued. 

"I understand that you're a criminal, but the Black Brothers have no use for someone as skilled as you are. The Titans have not posed a problem for a long time." He claimed, still looking Levi in the eyes. He opened his mouth again when Levi interrupted.

"So why send me? What use does his Majesty Erwin Smith have for me, if not to rot away at the Wall just a few miles North of here?" Levi spit, yanking against his bonds, bare state be damned. It was only then that he realized that the King hadn't looked at anything other than his face the whole time. It was unusual.

The King's brow rose, eyes twinkling in victory. 

"Become my shadow. You will never have to work in a brothel for as long as you live."

Levi scoffed. "I'm not waning for protection. It's money I need." He glared at the King. "So you can take your offer and give it to a whore more desperate. I'd rather kill every single one of my patrons, as I've done for as long as I can remember, than take that shitty attempt at a deal from you."

Erwin's face turned grim. His voice was calm.

"I can promise that your... What do you call them?", he mocked, "Sister and Brother?" Levi's eyes widened. Erwin's mouth lifted in a twisted grin. "I can promise you that they won't come to harm should you accept my offer. I don't think you would like to find out what the other Lords have in store for such a meager house as yours, Lord Ackerman, if I should even bother calling you such."

Levi cursed. He didn't want to work for a snake like the King, but his family came first. 

He stared into the King's eyes defiantly. "Fine, I accept your offer. But only if my siblings can live safely near the capital. And have real Knights stationed outside their dwellings, no exceptions."

Erwin smirked.

"I'll see to it that it happens, my Lord."

\--

From then on, he became a shadow; an apparition. A bedtime story told to children so that they could behave. 

Levi didn't necessarily enjoy being the King's bitch, doing his bidding at every beck and call, but it was worth seeing Isabel's smiling face when she arrived at her new home, and Farlan's twinkling eyes when he finally became a true knight after years of being a lowly squire. 

Levi never failed, no matter the task. Executions, intimidation, persuasion; the King named it, and it was done. Levi's jobs took him all over Shiganshina, even to the brutal Wall where he was to meet with Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Dawk, who whined for more Brothers to "protect the kingdom". Whether it was diplomatic or violent, Levi always got the job done. It might have been mostly dirty work, but Levi prided himself in providing for his family and for his kingdom, as frivolous as that sounded.

This task, however, was different. 

The last of the Jaeger family was supposed to have been killed off just over nine years ago in the Great War of the Wings, but that was not the case.

One Eren Jaeger, son of the last monarch Grisha Jaeger, was still alive. And he was building an army. 

And so Levi, posing as a knight, was sent across the ocean to the next continent over with one mission.

Find Eren Jaeger. Report his movements to King Smith. And when the time was right, kill him. 

\--

It had been over a year, at this point. 

The tribe was currently resting, eating dinner around several fire pits made from stone. Laughter and shouting was abundant, but the circle Levi sat in was speaking in normal tones. The Khal sat towards the fire, his Bloodriders and Levi facing him. They were all listening to the Khaleesi, who told of his childhood and Shiganshina with the Khal's arm around his waist. 

"It was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen, with a magnificent castle that was as tall as the sky." Green eyes looked to Levi. "Have you been to the Red Keep, Ser? That's my favorite color, you know."

Levi nodded, nervously clearing his throat as all of the attention was suddenly directed to him. "Yes, my Khaleesi, I have seen the Red Keep." Eren nodded happily. "However," the smile dropped. "I must say it's not the most beautiful in Shiganshina. Far from it." 

Eren tilted his head, and several of the Horse Lords frowned. 

"Really, Ser? What would you say is the most beautiful place in Shiganshina, then, if not the castle in the capital itself? The beacon of all that the kingdom truly is?"

Levi smiled. "The most beautiful place in Shiganshina would have to be wherever you first land when we return, my Khaleesi. Your reign will be the most beautiful thing the people will have ever seen."

Eren blinked, and after a moment, Levi blushed. Wrong move, he thought, prepared to apologize when Eren laughed. He threw his head back, soft hair bouncing and neck craning as he laughed from deep in his chest. Levi sighed in relief.

"That, Ser," Eren giggled, "is why I like you. You're so honest, if an expert at flattery." Eren flushed a bit, lashes fluttering as he said a soft "Thank you, Ser. That was very kind of you." 

Levi's heart clenched, imploding and making his chest ache.

The conversation turned, and by the time the dinner was over and the Khal and Khaleesi retired to their tent, Levi still wasn't sure if his words rang true in his heart or not.

\--

The death of the Khal was a sudden one. Levi had seen one death coming, and it wasn't his.

What truly surprised him were the tears of rage and mourning from the Khaleesi. 

Eren kneeled and clutched the Khal's body, wailing inhumanly with every tightening grip of his hands. He cursed at the sky, dropping onto his knees to the Khal's chest and sobbing into his neck. Blood stained his robes and skin, red against brown like the life of the Khal streaked across the floor. 

The Bloodriders had left long ago with the rest of the tribe, claiming that the Khaleesi was cursed like the rest of his family, and only he had brought the raiders that ambushed the Khal in the middle of the night. A few stragglers were left, all women and children, save for a single man with a horse. Them, and a chest of Eren's most precious belongings, including the eggs and a Quartz necklace from the Khal to his Khaleesi. Their future looked grim. 

The crying continued for what seemed like hours, the others too shocked to move. Their Khaleesi was vulnerable. 

Levi took small steps and tentatively placed a hand on Eren's shoulder. There was a sniffle. Levi's hand was wet, the Khaleesi's bare back covered in a fine layer of sweat and grime. He didn't remove it. 

Eren turned to him, hands clenched into fists on his thighs, blood on his fingers and tears in his eyes. His beautiful eyes, swimming in sadness and grief. Levi gripped his shoulder harder.

Eren's face screwed up, lower lip wobbling and another sob escaping, before he dove into Levi and embraced him. Levi's eyes widened and his arms were stuck at his sides, unsure of where to go. His heart raced, and he could almost feel his pupils dilating. 

Slowly, as if the other were a wild animal, he brought his arms around Eren, patting his back and whispering reassurances. 

"Don't worry, my Khaleesi. We can fend for ourselves." he lied, rubbing small circles with his palms on tan skin. Who knew if the Bloodriders were to return and challenge the Khaleesi, or capture and enslave them? But for the moment, Levi pushed those thoughts aside, concentrating solely on comforting the boy. "You're safe with us."

Eren rubbed his nose into Levi's neck, tears searing hot trails into his skin. "It may seem so," Eren conceded, "But what is a Khaleesi without their Khal, Ser? What are they if nothing but an ordinary person?" He returned from hiding, looking at Levi with wide eyes and shaking his head. "I'm nothing, now; without an army, without a lover. Without a Khal."

Levi shook his head. "No, my Eren. You're wrong." He put a hand on Eren's cheek. "You may no longer be my Khaleesi, but you are still my King, and I will follow you and your cause to the ends of the earth." 

Eren blinked. He flushed, eyes widening in shock. He looked dazedly towards the stragglers, seeing their ragged robes and fearful faces. 

"You cannot abandon your people, my King.", Levi continued. "They need someone to follow." He turned Eren's head with a finger on his chin, looking his King in the eyes. "They need you."

Eren stared at him for a few seconds longer, steeling himself and coming up from the ground with Levi's help. He puffed out his chest and put a hand over his heart.

"Thank you, my people, for believing in me! Your loyalty will be rewarded!" He looked at all of them. "Now, a new age has begun. Gone is your Khaleesi. Now, you have a King."

"Bow before your King!" As the people fell to the floor in reverence, Levi continued, "Behold your new King, Eren Jaeger, Keeper of the Khal, Born of Shiganshina, Brother of the People, Leader of the Lost, the First of his Name!" Half of it was pulled from nowhere, but Levi felt that Eren needed the theatrics right now. They seemed to work, with the way that the small collection smiled at him with gleaming eyes. 

He looked at Eren. He was grinning wildly, arms outstretched and acknowledging his people. Tears ran down his cheeks, happiness thrumming in his whole being and shrouding the grief, for the moment. Levi took a deep breath, his chest feeling hollow in the best of ways. 

It was then that he realized he had meant his promise. He was loyal to only one person: his King. And it wasn't the one who held his family and pride in the palm of his hand. 

It was the one that stood before him on the blood-splattered dirt of a new kingdom.

\--

With wings fluttering weakly, the dragons stumbled across the floor, squawking and hissing at each other. Eren laughed, scooping one of them, the blue one, up in his palms. He scratched beneath its head, cooing when it closed its eyes and leaned into the touch. 

They had hatched when the full moon was as its highest point, an explosion of heat and light the only indication of their birth. The eggs were by Eren's side every second of their travels, and they had decided to sleep under a lone dead tree for the night. The others were huddled together around the base of the trunk, now watching Eren and the dragons in shock and awe. 

Levi swallowed, looking to Eren before asking, "So, are you going to name them?"

Eren hummed in thought, now stroking a wing with his fingertips. "I think these dragons are a sign. A sign that wonderful things are to come." He glanced at Levi through his lashes. "Perhaps I should name them after such things."

Levi nodded. "They're yours, Your Highness. The decision should be yours, as well."

Eren looked at them curiously. After a few moments of deliberation, he gestured towards the blue one. "Liberty." He turned to the green one. "Hope." The last one was red. Eren's eyes gleamed something fierce as he pointed at it, and said "Vengeance."

Levi felt empty. It was a good feeling, emotions swept up into a storm by his King. 

He stood up quickly, excusing himself and turning on Eren's confused back. He rummaged through his rucksack, returning a moment later with an object wrapped in cloth. He presented it to Eren, who furrowed his brows in confusion. 

"So you can protect yourself, my King." He put it in Eren's hands, closing his fingers over it. Eren unwrapped it slowly, eyes widening when the dagger was revealed. It was shiny and silver, and had an emerald embedded in the pommel. Intricate botanical designs decorated the hilt. It reflected light when Eren turned it over, the sun creating a long white spot running under his eyes. He looked at Levi. 

"Thank you, Ser. But surely," his eyes twinkled with mirth. "I can take care of myself. I now have dragons." He smiled cheekily, eyes boring into Levi. 

Levi smiled. "Of course you can, Sire. But it will help me sleep at night knowing you have a weapon with you." His face softened. "You need to be constantly vigilant. You're a king, after all." 

Eren seemed to sag, shoulders dropping and tears brimming on his eyelids. "Ser..." He sniffled, clutching the dagger to his chest. "I thank you again." He looked every bit the boy that he was on his wedding night, barely scraping fifteen with pink dusting his cheeks and eyes round. He was beautiful.

Guilt gnawed at Levi's heart. His King would never known of the plot to kill him. That was in the past now.

He had a job to do. And it was to stay by Eren's side no matter what.

\--

"Zhaldrize! Zhaldrize!" 

Eren waved to the chanting people from the dais, pearly teeth shining and eyes twinkling. He stretched out his arms, closing his eyes as his dragons roared behind him. Fire erupted from their throats, sizzling the air around them. The people roared their approval.

With the liberation of a slave city, Eren now had a true following in his midst. The dragons were growing quickly, and with them being about the size of small horses, they made quick work of the nobility who refused to free their slaves. Burned to a crisp and devoured, the problem was solved. The people were loyal to the King now. 

They kept chanting "Zhaldrize! Zhaldrize!", their native word for dragon. Eren had won them over easily when he spoke to them in his mother language. They had dubbed Eren as the Father of the dragons; the leader of the beasts. A majestic creature ready to bring both prosperity to his allies and destruction to his foes. 

Levi felt that it was quite fitting. 

He looked out towards the crowd, smiling and crying faces screaming for their protector. They loved their new King.

Levi knew that before long, he could very well come to do the same.

\--

Doubling as the only member of a Kingsguard and the King's personal advisor could be tiring, at times. He met with many diplomats and important figures from the cities they encountered in their travels, and many of them were damn idiots. Levi couldn't stand half of them, and usually had a scowl on his face by the time an event was over.

Eren was the complete opposite. His soft smiles and crinkly eyes were abundant, and placating words were always used. Levi adored his compassion. 

It changed when the others left. 

After one particularly redundant and frustrating meeting, Levi's scowl darker than usual, he escorted Eren to his chambers. The King stomped angrily, robes fluttering and hair bouncing as his bare feet pattered loudly against the marble floors. Once they reached the large ornate doors, Eren pushed them open and snatched his crown off the top of his head. He flung it onto his nest of pillows and duvets (the only kind of bed he wanted to sleep on), where it bounced onto the floor, clanging and startling the dragons from their perches. 

Eren sighed. He approached the dragons, holding his hands out in apology. "Shhh, my children. I'm sorry for frightening you." They stopped scrambling, immediately crawling up to him and nuzzling their heads against his body. He crooned to them, whispered words in his mother tongue soothing and making them purr. Smoke curled from their nostrils to the roof, grey puffs emerging from between their teeth with every happy chirp. Eren smiled weakly and patted each of their noses, rubbing up between their eyes.

He had to reach up now to pet them as he did before; they were getting big. They were tall and muscular, although Vengeance was the thickest of them all. Horns had begun to sprout from the tops of their heads, and their wings grew more powerful each day. 

With a short command, the dragons receded to their perches, chasing and snapping at each other playfully. Levi crossed the room to draw back the curtains, and at the appearance of sunlight, all three dragons whipped their heads towards the outside and darted. They launched themselves from the edge, ascending higher and higher until they were gone from sight. 

He turned back towards the pile of blankets and pillows to find Eren lying on it, head in his hands. He was shaking. Levi's heart broke, gut wrenching and twisting as he witnessed Eren's distress.

He kneeled on the edge of the makeshift bed, bringing his hand to Eren's chin and lifting it. Tears were carving trails down his cheeks, making his dark flush glisten with sadness. The pools in his eyes were growing, making the blue in them shift and sparkle. Levi's free hand clenched into a fist when Eren hugged his own arms and tried to curl up. 

"My King, what brings you such pain? Was it the delegates?", he questioned. "I'll give them a stern talking to, if you desire." He put a hand on the hilt of his sword, and Eren shook his head rapidly.

"No Ser, though I appreciate your concern..." He broke off, looking to the side. Dejected? Lost? Levi couldn't pinpoint exactly what the emotion in Eren's eyes was, but he was determined to identify it.

Levi's head tilted, and he scooted closer to his King. "Your Majesty...", he began, voice thick and throat heavy. "I will always be here for you. You can lament to me if you so wish, and I will do everything in my power to ensure your happiness." At that, Eren's head snapped back towards him. The younger man blinked, his surprise widening his eyes and making his jaw slack. More tears fell, dripping off the bottom of his chin in an unsteady rhythm. 

Levi brushed one of them off with a finger, and he could feel his King's chin quivering. His brows furrowed, body burning with a desire to comfort. It was almost alien and all-consuming.

"Please, my King," he pleaded, running a thumb over a cheekbone. Eren's eyelids twitched, lashes shielding irises for a moment. Eren took a shuddering breath, more tears escaping as he mumbled. His lips barely moved, a breath escaping them and warming Levi's face. Levi tilted his head closer, a silent request for repetition.

A soft whisper met the shell of his ear. "I cannot rule an entire people, Ser. I do not know how." Another stuttered breath. "I am afraid, Ser."

Fear. It was fear that swam in those beautiful eyes of his. 

"I'm afraid that I cannot satisfy everyone. I'm afraid that the remaining of the Khal's entourage will deem me incompetent compared to the Khal." He stared forward, eyes shifting minutely. Panic was crawling its way into them. "I'm afraid I will not be as wonderful a leader as the Khal was. I'm afraid." He looked into Levi's eyes. "I'm afraid. Without the Khal, I am just a lost Prince." 

In a spur of emotion, Levi brought his arms around his King. Eren whimpered, clutching at Levi as if he were to disappear. Tears stained his tunic, hot and heavy on his shoulder and neck. Levi rubbed his back, bringing a hand to his hair and running his fingers through it. Eren's sobs pervaded through the room. After a few moments, Eren began to mumble into his skin, lips shifting against his pulse.

"I- I don't even miss him." A hiccup. "I realize that I was in love with him, but he is gone now, and I've move on." A wet sigh. "I just do not know if I can be the King my people want me to be. I am too young for such a responsibility." Levi nodded. Seventeen was a bit young for a lone monarch. 

"Levi... Do you think I'm capable? You've been by my side this whole time." Greek eyes bore into his own, earnest and pure. "Do you think I'm a good king? Have I been treating my people right?" His eyes sparkled, fear circling over and over. "Am I deserving of such a title?" He paused and, after a moment of deliberation, he took a steeling breath. "Am I deserving of you?" His lips parted, shiny after a swipe of his tongue. Something replaced the fear. Something more lazy. Wanting and dangerous. Levi's stomach dropped.

"Am I deserving of such a companion as you? Who has remained by my side through it all?" His cheeks flushed scarlet. "Would you stay with me if I revealed my true feelings? What I really fear above all?"

Levi's eyelids lowered, bringing his forehead to Eren's. Their breaths mingled, hot and humid. He didn't understand the shift in atmosphere; how it had gone from morose to almost sultry. 

"My King..." he whispered, heat pooling in his abdomen as Eren shuddered softly. "Would you dismiss me if I admitted to feeling the same?" Eren sighed in relief, a hand coming up to rest on Levi's chest. 

"I would never let you leave, Ser." 

Levi's heart soared. "Then it's a good thing I do not plan on going, your Majesty." 

"Please, Ser. Levi." He smiled. "Call me Eren. I feel we can leave behind the formalities when we're alone." 

"Of course." Levi put a palm on the other's waist, drawing their bodies together ever so softly. "May I kiss you, Eren?" Barely a breath landing full lips, and Eren's eyes closed in anticipation, lashes resting on his cheeks like butterflies upon flower petals. He smiled softly. 

"Yes."

Levi had never meant a single kiss. Each kiss was a coin, and they added up to keep Levi alive when he slept with sellswords and nobility for money. This was different.

It was soft and anything but chaste, lips brushing against each other and parting for a moment, only to meet again with the lightest of presses. After an immeasurable amount of time, Eren sighed, pulling back just a bit and opening his eyes. Levi admired him, a blush making him appear dainty. It was enthralling. 

They searched each others' faces, Eren smiling widely before closing his eyes and leaning in again. Levi laughed, their lips meeting once more. Eren's grip on his tunic tightened, kisses becoming more insistent. Levi hummed, pushing back and smiling at Eren's enthusiasm. He was almost sloppy, breathing heavily when he ran the tip his tongue along the seam of Levi's lips. They parted, the kiss deepening as their tongues brushed against each other. Levi's lower half was burning.

Eren pulled away suddenly. Levi groaned at the look in his eyes. It was intoxicating; hot and enticing in a way he had never seen coming. He gripped Levi's biceps, leaning back against the nest and bringing Levi with him. Hair splayed against white sheets and pillows, Eren smirked as Levi kneeled between his spread thighs. He was mesmerizing, tan limbs barely concealed by translucent fabric. He brought his legs up and ran the side of his calves along Levi's thighs. 

"Are you going to continue, Ser?" Eren asked, his body thrumming as hands traced patterns on Levi's arms. But they were trembling. 

Eren was afraid.

Levi looked deeper into his eyes, and saw anxiety and reluctance reflected in them.

It was all Levi could do to stare when Eren grabbed one of his hands and brought it to his face, placing Levi's fingers along his lips and darting his tongue out to lap at them. He peered up at Levi through his lashes.

"Eren..." He traced his thumb along the bottom of Eren's lower lip. He sighed, smiling at his King. He lowered himself and rolled the both of them to the side, so that he was holding the other. Eren stiffened, bringing his hands to his own chest. 

Levi smoothed his hair down and placed a kiss on his hairline. "We don't have to, my King. I'm content with waiting."

He felt Eren relax immediately. Arms wrapped around his neck, hot cheeks resting on his collarbones. "Thank you, Levi." Their limbs tangled together, the afternoon sun warming them as they lay embraced. Levi had never been more at peace. 

Eren's breaths eventually deepened, and with the setting sun, Levi realized he would wait forever if it meant that he could hold his King like this.

\--

When they had finally found a place to call their own, the people rejoiced. An abandoned city near the sea had become their home, and everybody was happy. 

Eren had immediately claimed the tallest building as his own, clearing a patch of land around it and requesting that subjects volunteer to help create a royal garden. Seeds from the pockets of many citizens made their way into the soil, and foliage was transported from the nearby tropical forest. The garden was enclosed within a tall fence, ornate gates allowing passage into the sanctuary. And as Levi and Eren walked hand in hand, touching plants and pointing out animals as they saw them, Levi could see why the people called it The Dragon's Paradise.

Eren glowed in the light of dawn, dew dusting leaves and tree trunks, reflecting rays of color onto his cheeks and into his eyes. His scant clothing only made him seem more heavenly. His long skirt brushed the soil beneath his bare feet, catching on small rocks and hanging low on his hips. His chest was bare, sparse hair whorling and curling with the mist of humidity that clung to the air and sat heavy in Levi's lungs. Eren squeezed his fingers, smiling softly and leading him to the gate that overlooked the city all the way to the ocean. The water sparkled like his King's eyes.

"Isn't it beautiful, Levi? All of this..." He lightly touched the metal with the pads of his fingers. "It's mine." He shone with pride.

Levi nodded. "You deserve it, my King. You've been through so much. You deserve happiness." 

Eren laughed. "Oh Levi." He put a hand on his heart, giggling and shaking his head. "I'm content, I'll admit." His face went from jovial to full of contempt, eyes darkening and hair falling to cover his face. "But I'm far from satisfied." 

Whether there were rocks in his stomach or just his guilt, Levi would never have been able to say for sure.

"The King across the water is waiting for me." Eren gripped the bars, the joints of his fingers turning white. "Shiganshina is waiting for me." 

Levi could not speak. He thought of the letters from Erwin lying unanswered in his rucksack. He thought of the countless responses he had sent, telling of their position and happenings. He thought of Eren, possibly finding those letters. He could feel sweat forming on the back of his neck. 

Eren turned to him. His eyes shone. "I will get my revenge on the man who took everything from me." He grabbed Levi's hands, running his thumbs along the dorsal side of them. "And we will rule together. You and I. My knight." A flush blossomed on his cheeks. "My love." 

Levi's eyes widened, heart fluttering like a bird's wings as he nodded and caressed the back of Eren's neck. 

He whispered declarations of love onto flower petal lips, focusing on the warmth of the sun's rays and the scorch of a hand at his waist as he promptly pushed his drowning guilt to the back of his mind, for now.

\--

Levi was drowning in parchment. 

Blood stained the paper, cuts all over his skin pouring out his life and dragging him down with it. With the taste of metal in his mouth, Levi cried out and flapped his arm around, feeling for something, anything, that he could grab onto above the swarm. A hand grabbed his own, dragging him above the sea. 

Levi gasped, fiery green eyes meeting his own. 

"Eren..." He mumbled, wrist cramping with the strength of his King's grip. 

A sneer grew on the other's face. "Don't mock me, Ser." He threw Levi's arm away, stepping back and grabbing something from behind him. 

Levi's rucksack. 

He tipped it over and more letters poured out, face stony as they kept coming. Waxy seals gleamed dully in the dim lighting. Levi gasped for air, sinking quickly under the fray.

Growling and roaring made itself known; blinding heat surrounding Levi. Flames erupted into the air, and the dragons appeared behind Eren. He locked eyes with Levi. 

"Say hello to your King in Hell for me, Ser." 

Vengeance set fire to the paper with a roar as the other two dragons screeched their approval, and embers engulfed Levi, unfeeling green eyes the last thing he saw as he screamed in agony. His skin was melting, hair singeing, the heat was unbearable and-

Levi stuttered awake. 

He was panting heavily, chest heaving with every breath as sweat dripped onto the sheets. As he got out of bed and slipped on a robe, he looked to Eren, who had rolled to the other side of the nest at some point during the night. The moonlight made his hair and skin glimmer, looking his age for once. Just a boy. 

Levi turned to leave, grabbing his rucksack and an oil lamp on the way. He needed to burn those letters.

\--

As white and orange flames licked at royal parchment and wax, Levi could feel the stones in his chest grinding down into nothing.

\--

With the growth of the kingdom came the growth of the Kingsguard and administration. Prospective members were elected by the people, and the King made the final decisions. He now had an entire board of advisors and protectors, ready to bend and break to his will. 

They were an interesting lot, to be sure. Most were only a few years older than Eren himself. At the latest congregation all were present, the advisors seated at a long table and the Kingsguard kneeling before the dais. Only Levi was standing beside the Dragon, sword drawn and perched on it's tip, his palms resting atop one another on the hilt. 

Eren looked positively regal, a sea-foam fabric crossing over his chest and around his neck to wrap around his waist and drop into a long shirt. His legs crossed out of the fabric, smooth, with toes pointed and feet meeting off to the side of the throne. A green jewel rested on his abdomen, tying the fabric together. It sparkled like the blade of Levi's sword.

Levi watched as the meeting started, various members of both the Guard and the administration giving input when the King suggested something. Levi didn't really pay any mind to the words; Eren would let him know what was important afterwards. He knew just how much these things annoyed Levi. 

He stiffened. Someone was watching him.

He made eye contact with a blonde boy sitting with the administration, who looked to be the youngest of the bunch. His eyes were large and unblinking, pinning Levi with their insistence. For a bit, his quill lay forgotten in his hand. After a moment he smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. He confined writing as if nothing had happened. The woman next to him raised her hand, asking something about the crop surplus and what Eren would suggest in terms of storage. Levi promptly tuned her out. 

With more people came more chances of betrayal, and it seemed Levi already had someone new to keep an eye on.

\--

Now that Eren had a place to settle into, Levi noticed many things about his King that weren't apparent before. 

Eren never wore pants. He only wore long skirts; dresses and robes flowing with every step and shift. He said that they made his legs feel free, and that fabric enclosed around them was restricting. And he wanted to look beautiful, no matter what. Not that Levi thought he needed to do much to look gorgeous.

Eren was always barefoot. He liked feeling the ground beneath him, he claimed. His toes often wiggled in the dirt when they strolled through the garden, and the soles of his feet would tap out unrelated rhythms and patterns on the floors of the castle. 

Eren loved curling up in whatever chair it was he was seated on, draping himself over the furniture with a grace one could only be born with. His limbs would dangle off the edges, swaying to a tune in the King's head.

Eren would only kiss Levi if he was holding him first, bringing them close together before pecking his lips. He wanted to be close to Levi, he would say, and feel him skin to skin when they lost themselves in each other.

Eren would never wear his crown unless he felt it was absolutely necessary. When it was presented to him as a gift from the new administration, Eren had put it on and immediately taken it off, saying that it was too serious for him. The administration and Kingsguard had laughed, and Eren blushed. Levi knew what he had meant with the gesture; Eren wanted to seem approachable. Wearing a golden crown with raw emeralds and pearls woven into it did the exact opposite. 

Levi learned much about his new King, his lover, and he came to adore every part of him. 

\--

The blonde boy's name was Armin. 

He accompanied Eren everywhere. 

He was by far Eren's favorite member of the administration, the only person possibly rivaling that a knight named Mikasa. But Armin was awfully close to the King.

Levi entered the garden after a sparring session with the new Guard, looking for smoke plumes above the trees. Usually, the dragons and Eren could be found in the same place. There were no such columns of smoke. 

That day, there was only Armin and Eren. 

Armin said something and Eren laughed, deep and from his core as he balanced himself with a hand on the smaller's shoulder. 

Levi would have ripped the boy's arm clean off, if he could have. 

Instead, he lingered behind a particularly large bush, hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to see anything but red.

\--

The letters from Erwin, Levi noticed, had trickled to a stop. Months had passed and no letters materialized into his rucksack; no random escorts woke him in the dead of night to push parchment into his palms and disappear just as quietly as they came. 

Of course, one final letter from Erwin would land in the hands of the blonde boy. 

It wasn't the fact that Erwin could possibly believe that he would still be reporting to him after months of silence. It wasn't that, that killed him.

It was Eren's face as members of the Guard threw Levi into a spare room, removing all of his weapons and clothing, save for a robe, and leaving him to await his fate. The last thing he saw before they closed and barred the door was the look of betrayal in Eren's eyes. That, and the smirk of the blonde boy as the door shut.

The night was awfully quiet without Eren. 

Levi rolled to his side, brick floor grating at his joints. It was cold, and he sighed. Eren would usually be there to keep him warm. 

It was fine, for a bit. 

When Levi couldn't feign apathy any longer, the grief and guilt and worry and regret bombarded his entire being. He convulsed violently, curling in on himself to form a shield against the negative emotions. He felt as if he were being crushed by boulders; words swimming behind his closed eyelids, reminding him of his mistakes. 

He tried to hold himself together, but as day turned to night, tears dripped to the stone floor like his secrets and his eyes stung like the wounds of betrayal, and all he could think of was Eren's smile, and how he would never see it again.

\--

He was woken by a rough tug, and as he snapped his eyes open, his vision was obscured. From what he could see, there was a knit sack over how head, sunlight filtering through the seams of the fabric as he was led out of the room and down the corridor. He was being taken with an unknown hand wrapped around either arm, twin grips tights as they dragged him into the Royal Hall.

One of the escorts makes quick work on his hands, cuffing them with cold iron shackles before tugging the sack off of his head. The brightness made him wince, and he was greeted by the whole administration. The advisors were seated at tables to either side of the dais, and the Kingsguard stood in front, forming a barrier to the steps. And atop it, overlooking them all, was his King.

His face was a mask, and his eyes were hard and fiery, full of anger and hurt. He was standing, crimson robes draped across his shoulders and waist. A necklace of rubies and black stone adorned his neck, and for the first time, Levi saw him wearing his crown.

Sweat was beading on Levi's forehead, and it dripped off of his nose and onto the cold floor when he lowered his head in respect. He heard Eren scoff. 

"Don't mock me, Ser." Levi shivered, remembering his dream. "Look at me." He lifted his gaze and stared into those green eyes. 

"Do you know why you are here, Ser?" Eren said, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. He was furious.

"I cannot be sure, my King." Eren's eyes narrowed at that. He held a hand out, and Armin shuffled forward and cleared his throat. Levi's eyes widened when he saw the broken seal on the letter. It was from Shiganshina. It was the Smith sigil.

"To my friend across the water. I have yet to hear from you in quite some time. The harvests have been bountiful, and the winter was fortunately kind to the people of Shiganshina." Eren's face darkened. "I have assigned Ser Mikeal Zacharius to train your Knight brother, Farlan Church. He is anxious to be appointed to the Kingsguard, and eagerly awaits your return to flaunt his accomplishments. If I recall correctly, he has competed in a tourney, or two.

"Lady Isabel is faring fine, as well. She misses you dearly, and has become close to Earl Zoe in your absence. But, enough with the pleasantries. Do not forget your mission. Rebels in the north have begun to assemble with the growing unrest beyond the Wall, and I cannot afford to have any other distractions. The boy must be dead within the season. Time is of the essence, Levi." 

Eren's brow lifted. Levi was panting now, breath coming quick and heavy. Armin was trying to hide a satisfied smile. He continued anyways.

"Do not think I have not noticed your absence, as of late. I am going to presume that you have simply engrossed yourself so completely into the boy's life that you have no time to respond to me. I refuse to think otherwise. 

If my suspicions have been proven correct, I have included a surprise with this letter as incentive. Respond immediately. Return soon. Your King, His Majesty Erwin Smith, the first of his name, ruler of Shiganshina." Armin looked up with the letter's completion.

Eren had never stopped looking at Levi the whole way through. He sighed. "So, I am assuming that you have a bit more of an understanding as to why you are kneeling before me now. Is that right, Ser?" 

Levi nodded slowly. "Y-yes, Your Majesty." 

Eren sneered. "Choose your words wisely, Ser. You are not in the best position right now."

Armin leaned in and whispered something. Eren silenced him. Levi couldn't help but be pleased by that. He brushed the Kingsguard to the side, and they parted ways as he descended the steps of the dais. His feet padding against the floor, he didn't stop until he was right in front of Levi. He crouched down to eye level. 

"How long has this been going on, Ser? Have you been following me under orders from His Majesty Smith from the start?" His eyes glittered with something fierce. "Have you been plotting to assassinate me this entire time? Tell the court, Ser!" His voice rose with every sentence, anger booming across the room as his eyebrows furrowed and his face flushed with fury.

He breathed shakily, awaiting Levi's reply. "... Yes, Your Majesty."

"We're your promises naught but lies, Ser? Your promises to follow me and be loyal to me?" Eren's eyes softened, tears brimming in them and his lip wobbling. "To love me forever? What were those if nothing but false words from between your teeth?" He looked so pained, and Levi inhaled shakily. His eyes were stinging, and he could feel them slipping down his cheeks as he let out a sob.

"Things have ch-changed, Your Majesty. I..." He blushed, aware of the eyes of the court watching him. "I love you beyond- beyond anything else. I would never betray you so brutally, My King."

Eren's eyes widened, teeth gritting together as he spat out his words. "Then explain this letter! And the supposed other letters! Where are those? Did you destroy the evidence? You need not answer that question, Ser, for I already know the answer." He gestured wildly, lips gleaming with saliva and tears falling to the floor. "Just like I know how you lie and cheat and lead me on with your false and empty promises. Tell me Ser,", he whispered, "why should I believe you, when the evidence screams at me not to?" 

Eren looked to the floor, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Ser Jean, Ser Marco. Bring them from their room." Levi blanched, confused.

The answers to his unspoken questions came soon enough. From another room, two bodies were dragged in by the scruffs of their dark tunics. Both were dressed in monochrome, and when the Knights flipped them onto their backs, Levi gasped, more tears spilling. 

Isabel and Farlan.

Blood crusted their faces, cheeks and eyes swollen shut. Bruises disappeared into their garbs and their hair was tainted with brown. 

Levi could only think of one possible reason as to why they were there, unconscious and battered before him. 

Eren gestured to them. "These two claim to be your siblings. They say King Erwin sent them here to help you complete your mission and retrieve you. That if you didn't return with them, they would instead return to their previous conditions in poverty." Eren looked at him again. "Is this true, Ser?" 

Levi sobbed quietly. "Ye-es, your Majesty. Erwin came to me with an offering of b-better conditions for my family, if I became his personal assassin." He shook his hair out of his face, making eye contact with Eren. "I accepted this job thinking that I could do it. B-but," he leaned forward, "I would have never dreamed that I would fall in love with y-" 

"That's enough, Levi." His voice was hoarse, and Levi saw him lick his lips, cheeks wet and shiny. 

Eren stood then, turning toward the court and stretching his arms out. "What say you, friends? Now is the time for your ability to truly be tested. You have prosecuted thieves, slavers, and cheaters." He gestured to Levi. "Now, tell me how you would sentence a traitor." 

The administration shuffled uncomfortably in their seats, and the Kingsguard looked at each other. A member of the administration stood up. "Permission to confer, my King?" 

Eren nodded, the girl bowing her thanks, and the members stood up, all walking towards the Kingsguard and kneeling with them in a circle. Eren didn't even glance towards Levi, focused on the murmuring group. It was a long few minutes; Levi's heart was racing, fingers twitching, and the group returned to their places.

Eren tilted his head. "Well? What have you decided?" 

Armin stood. It was quiet for a moment, and he looked at Levi, eyes twinkling sadistically. "We have decided on execution, Your Majesty."

Levi's stomach dropped. 

Eren was still for a moment, and nodded shakily. "I had a feeling you would say that." He turned to Levi. Tears were spilling again, but Eren was smiling. Armin stepped forward and up the dais, grabbing something before placing it in the King's open palm. 

The dagger.

The very same one he had given Eren.

Eren kneeled before him once more, placing a hand on he back of his neck, while the one wielding the weapon stayed at his side. 

"Levi..." He whispered, rubbing his skin with the pads of his fingers. His voice rose. "The accused, Ser Levi Ackerman, has been found guilty of fraternization with an enemy party, and of treason, for plotting the murder of his King." Tears hung from his chin, emeralds swimming in pools of their own making. "For his crimes, the court, with the approval of His Majesty, has decided on execution." 

Eren inhaled, breath shaky. "By the power vested in me..." He lifted the dagger, placing it on Levi's neck. Levi didn't dare close his eyes, even though his heart was about to jump out of his chest; even though he could feel his stomach churning. "I, Eren Jaeger, the first of his name, the Zhaldrize of the free people, and the King of this land..." He looked at Levi. His lips were wobbling, flower petals quivering in the wind. 

"I pronounce Ser Levi Ackerman dead."

As he whispered a last "I love you" and dragged the knife along his lover's neck, all Levi could think of was how Eren's favorite color was spilling from his neck and onto the floor beneath him.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry


End file.
